Best purchase ever...

AB and I have a kind of routine where we declare an item one of our "best purchases ever". I think it is a way to consciously or subconsciously help us throughout the years to make better choices in how we spend our money. I have noticed lately that among the usual suspects on our list of really good choices, there are some that I really debated on whether or not to buy or that one of us really had to make a strong case for.

Compare this to other purchases that we have to a certain degree made mental notes on "never again". Like the computer I am typing on now... never go out and buy a computer because you need one with no checking around... Or maybe the dressers we bought when we moved here and knew we needed dressers, but not where to buy them? Oh the list goes on.

But in an effort to keep 95% of my blogs on the upbeat note, I thought I would share our list of "really great buys".

• My car. Love my car. I have a 2003 Toyota 4Runner that I bought halfway on a whim 9 years ago. I wanted a Highlander, but they were hard to come by and pricier than I had expected. I drove my 4Runner and decided this would do and I love the car still. I have no intention of replacing it anytime soon.

• AB's car. He loves his car something fierce. A Toyota Sequoia. I don't particularly care for it because it is huge. I feel like I am driving a bus. But that's the only reason why. I love being a passenger in it.

• A pink rolling pin. I found this itty bitty siliconeized rolling pin when Skadi was about 2. It wasn't inexpensive. And I debated this purchase pretty hard, does a 2 year old really need a silicone rolling pin? Umm yes, she did and she loves it and uses it.

• My black purse. It just gets better with age. One thing I love about it is that when I travel I can fit a lab notebook into it as well as my Kindle and no briefcase necessary.

• Our dining room table. I had to wrangle with my husband to finally get a second dining room table for our formal dining room. We always maintained that we didn't need a second dining room, but now that I have one. Love it. I use the in kitchen dining room for breakfast and lunch and kid's crafts. The dining room for actual dinner. But the table in particular? It was an inexpensive table that I FINALLY convinced AB we needed from Ikea. But it is fabulous. Solid wood and expands to seat... well we haven't filled it up yet. I am guessing 16 people?

• Our Canon EOS Digital Rebel. Love my camera. I use that thing all the time. And you know what? It is 7 years old and still going strong and taking fabulous pictures.

• A vase. Yes, a simple vase from Crate and Barrel. When I was in grad school I went to a conference and actually won one of 5 awards for the best student poster. It was $100, but to a grad student it was a small fortune. I wanted to buy something that would remind me of that time. I think it cost $29 (and I put the remainder towards dinner at Moose's with my husband). But I use that vase all the time.

Ok, so not the most fascinating post, but one of those that has been rattling around in my head for awhile.